#+SETUPFILE: ../../../template/level-2.org
#+OPTIONS: toc:auto ^:nil
#+TITLE: The MacGuffins: Act 2 Underett
#+Description: The MacGuffins: Act B.


* TODO Disclaimer

Note, this remains a work in progress.


* Introduction


* Summary


* Dramatis Personae

- Little Prince


* TODO Hooks


* Chapters


** TODO Chapter 1

Drag Tuck of the Space Hams needs help to escape the SPD.

*** Pike Place Market

*** The Gutless Boar

*** Everett Safehouse

Upon reaching the safehouse, the air goes quiet and light clouds cover
the sun. A small clearing among the surviving thicket of reprod woods
planeted by drones in the 2030s surrounds the group. A small creek
flows between the party and the safehouse, and a weather battered
bridge leads down a wide gravel path to the front door. Suddenly, a
side door slams shut and someone shouts at the group that they've
given away their hiding spot. Coming from the distance, a chopping
sound gets louder and an assault gunship appears from the same
direction the group had walked.

**** Combat with the gunship

The gunship will prioritize killing Drag and any other Space Hams.

- It's a trap :: there are no survivors.
- The gunship is a drone :: DC 15 for hackers or DC 5 if boarded while
     still in combat.
- The pilot of the gunship is the person in the safehouse.
- Take over the gunship :: nat 20 or DC 22. DC 15 to take over one of
     the weapons or move.
- Locate the pilot :: DC 15 for hackers.

***** Stats

****** Proxy the drone pilot

 AC 12
 HP 30
 Heavy Pistol
 DC +3
 1d12+1
 CHA -1
 Dead Switch Knife
 DC -1
 1d4+2

****** T89A1 Daifin Boeing Gunship

One attack per section:

******* Hull
 AC 15
 HP 50
 Resistance against ballist attacks
 Heavy machine gun
 DC +1
 1d12

******* Port and Starboard Rotor (each)
 AC 15
 HP 50
 Heavy machine gun
 DC +2
 2d12

**** Inside the safehouse

Only the duty light rays coming through the door of the sun peeking
through the clouds illuminate the room. Two bodies lie in the corner,
hinted at by the smell of evacuation. Not enough time has passed since
the had died.

- Cutscene :: DC 5 a slam sound, DC 10 someone just fled through a
              trap door, DC 15 someone with shiny fins fled through a
              hatch in the floor, DC 20 it was a cyberangel like from
              the Daifin Group Building.

If any of the Space Hams are still alive they ID them as other Space
Hams.

**** After combat

The safehouse is located on top of another megabunker that goes deep
underground.

- Where are the Space Hams :: Interogation DC 15 after combat The
     gunship killed the Space Hams.
- Who do you work for? :: DC 10 Thugless, DC 20 working for Big Karl
     until her recent retirement.

*** The Seattle Sprawl Underground

** Chapter 2, Always AR Syndrome

*** For the ref

The PCs find themselves stuck in an underground after Little Prince
destroys the secret lift to the Space Hams' safehouse. With no other
way to go, they follow the caves to an underground city, Underett,
currently on military lockdown due to an illness, known as "always
augmented reality syndrome", or AARS, that afflicts non-techno and
non-adept magic users with a waking hallucinogenic and nightmare
causing illness accompanied by acute vertigo, lasting weeks. All
others who catch the illness typically only suffer minor VR glitches
if anything and have not reported any debilitating symptoms.

In late 2059, Daifin Group hired Thugless to spread AARS in Underett
before they try to market it as a bioweapon in Eurasia.

In 2055, Little Prince had sold out the Space Hams, which led to the
illegal medical testing on Drag Tuck. In exchange, Little Prince would
secure a trade monopoly between Underett and the surface while also
running a black market. Additionally, Daifin would stay out of the
Seattle Sprawl Underground. However, the recent Thugless presence has
forced him to compromise the original agreement.

Soon after Thugless arrived, Little Prince contracted AARS. It took LP
a month to recover. During that time the military quarantined the city
and eventually opened up one of the exits to the rest of the sprawl
underground. The military has a cure for AARS, but they use it
sparingly due to the cost. Thugless took over all operations of the
existing black market and started kidnapping and taking hostages in
order to bend the will of political figures.

Steam worked as a combat medic. Thugless kidnapped his family in early
2060 in order to force him to work on the underground side of illegal
operations.

*** Prompt

The way back up the lift to the Space Hams' safehouse suddenly
thunders and crashes as the doors fly off and smoke and dusk settle in
the cavern.

**** If Steam lived/remains conscious:

"There's nothing you can do. I'll show you how to get to the nearest
way back to the surface. We just need to take this cave to Underett,
the city under Everett."

**** Little Prince the hologram:

"If you can make it out alive, maybe I can use you for something
actually important!"

*** Call Agent Smithereens

- Who is Little Prince? :: The original founder of the Space Hams. We
     know he had sold out the Space Hams for some time now, but only
     just recently discovered yet another link to Daifin.
- Can you get us out of here? :: Stand by. You're all on lockdown
     right now.

*** Underett Square

Far less dystopian than the current state of Seattle.

You can drink in public as long as not a nusiance.

**** George McFly

Wealthy business man.

**** Bucket Head

Recovering death mage. 60 year old elf.

*** Exit

Outside the main cavern of Underett, a military checkpoint funnels all
who pass to and from the surface.

"1000 creds each, and we'll let you out if you can get the hospital to
sign off that you're not sick." -Agent Company Man

*** Hospital

Sgt Nurse Beckett. She's an orc 8ft tall and is armed to the teeth.

Currently working on cracking the virus to produce a cure and/or
vaccine. They hope to have one before any in the rest of the SSU.

DC 20 to find Little Prince, who still makes regular visits to recover
from the AARS.

*** Gen Food Mart Inc

They have an infamous reputation for disliking drones and androids. In
reality, they use this to distance themselves from Garra who has an
equal reputation for using drones and holograms.

*** Buffalo Pub (Thugless Hideout)

Steam's family is trapped inside. See the chapter "Thug out the trash"
for more details.

*** Buffalo Sapper

Swift the tailor sells a variety of clothing and styles.

*** Flea Market

Garra owns and ops. But she's a hologram and lives somewhere else.

Each time Garra gets beer from the food mart, it also contains some
kind of smuggling item.

**** Items for sale

***** General inventory

- frag grenage, 1 in stock

***** Mining Drone

One in stock.
Price varies depending on the interaction.
HP 10
1d10 drill melee
10 mining charges

***** Mining Charges

Large stock
300 credits
3d12 5x15, 4-6 15x15

** Chapter 3, Thug out the trash

aka Chapter 13, Part 2

*** For the ref

Refer back to chapter "Always AR Syndrome" for more details.

Make the PCs roll for these:

- 1d8+1 for bystanders in the pub main. 5=>6
- 1d6+5 for members of Thugless in the pub main. 1d2 another one is
  hiding in the kitchen. 2=>7,15 not in the kitchen
- 1d6+4 Thugless in the hideout lobby. Then 1d2 one of them has magic
  powers.

*** Prompt

The PCs have found themselves stuck in Underett during a lockdown. The
disease, known as AARS or "arse", seems to only affect magic
users. Common symptoms include halucinations, vertigo, and madness. In
order to escape, Garra, owner of a local flea market, has promised to
get them back to the surface if they can get rid of Thugless.

*** Buffalo Pub, the pub main

The PCs walk into a bar. Buh dum bum! Patrons sit in a surprisingly
well kept bar. The room looks like an old fashioned diner, with booths
on the right, each with a 3DTV of an outdoor landscape series. Today's
show looks like a green golf course on a sunny day. On the left,
barstools line the counter. Neon-style decorations run along the
edges, providing most of the light, aside from the 3DTVs. Behind the
bar, a short elf gives a suspicious look at the PCs and jumps to the
top shelf, near the middle and grabs a bottle of something brown
before jumping back to mix something at the bar.

A door leads from the left of the entrance, probably the
toilet. Behind the bar, double doors lead to what looks like the
kitchen. There's another door on the other side of the pub; it doesn't
look like an exit.

- Perception DC 10 :: this bar has autowash installed.
- History/Survival DC 15 :: autowash can be weaponized. DC 20 Daifin
     manufactures the most popular autowashes.
- Perception DC 20 :: You have a really bad feeling about the door at
     the back of the room.
- DC 20 :: 14 folks inside. There are two security cameras looking out
           towards the doors.
- There's a strange looking broom.

*** The kitchen

The cooks are all automated drones. None of them look threatening.

There's a sandwich on the grill. Probably Kozmo brand soya-cheez.

- Eat the sandwich for CON save 10 :: A pass gives +5 to all movement
     for the next hour. Fail and the person throws it up.

*** The head

A larger dwarf wearing headphones with AR sits on the toilet with a
heavy assault rilfe propped up just within arm's reach.

*** The corridor

This is essentially the roughest looking tunnel the PCs have seen in
Underett. It's an artificial cave leading away from the pub.

*** The hideout lobby

From the lobby, four rooms branch off.

*** Room 1

This room has a squat toilet.

*** Room 2

This room has a squat toilet.

*** Room 3

This room has a squat toilet.

Steam's child, Alex is inside.

**** If Steam lived and made it this far:

Alex looks up and shouts "Mom!"

Steam holds up his comlink and deactivates his active camo. Turns out
Steam was really his wife Smoke the entire time.

**** If Steam didn't make it:

Alex explains their parents were Steam and Smoke.

*** Room 4

This room has a (western style) toilet.

- Investigation/Strength DC 10 :: Pushing on the toilet at a certain
     angle makes it go down into the floor. Pushing on it enough makes
     it look like a squat toilet and a secret entrance opens in the
     wall behind it.

*** The Annex

In the back of Room 4, after pushing down on the toilet and walking
in, the PCs find an open safe with the following:

- a pile of 1d8+2 frag grenades
- a loaded M1911A4 (9 shots)
- a comlink with "AAA-THUG" written on it
- a medical bag
- 1d10 medkits
- a case :: Investigation DC 15 opens the case and finds several empty
            test tubes with their caps off.

** TODO Chapter 4

The group fought Thugless and can now go speak to Garra who promised
to help get them back to the surface.


** Chapter 5

The group smuggled Little Prince out of Underett back to the surface.

*** For the ref

Agent Smithereens was able to get the Underett security forces to let
the group pass because they leaked the news that one of them was
Little Prince. This prompted Daifin to pay off Underett security and
send a group of Thugless dressed as Everett police to the top of the
lift. AS will send SPD drones to help, if necessary. Little Prince
will aid the group as well as a short term ally, but will suffer a
ThrowException when rolling less than a 5 to hit due to AARS.

The group has a few high level options:

- Give LP over to Daifin either accidentally believing they were
  police for a price, 100k credits.
- Give LP over to SPD for bounty, 10k credits.
- Convince LP they need to become long term allies

*** Official AARS

Always augmented reality syndrome, or AARS, afflicts non-techno and
non-adept magic users with a waking hallucinogenic and nightmare
causing illness accompanied by acute vertigo, lasting weeks.

Those who make it past the severe effects still suffer the following:

- Suffer a ThrowException for rolling less than 5 (not just 1).
- Half movement.

All others who catch the illness typically only suffer minor VR
glitches if anything and have not reported any debilitating symptoms.

- All matrix, VR, or AR perception rolls glitch when rolling less than
  5 (not just 1).

*** Ride the lift up

XJammer sends the group a message:

"I've got all the details on the Chief Tony's briefcase as well as
what happened to the other one. Meet me at the Void Room. Don't bring
any AARS."

*** Exit the lift to Everett

The lift doors open wide to the western facing sky at dusk to a group
of four police officers casually drinking soya-kaffi through half
opened helmets with holographic masks to hide their identities. One
officer waves their mug, "Oy, they made it!" Two loud combat drones
turn to face the group. One of the officers walks forward "We better
detox everyone first, and then we'll take Little Prince in for
booking..."

**** Awareness checks

- There's an ambulance out of sight to left of the exit.
- One more officer inside the ambulance.
- Bipedal drones are Trusted Security XT-7 crowd exhaustion models
  each with one charge of area-of-effect exhaustion pulses, once per
  minute, CON DC 10 or single target CON DC 15. They also have
  anti-viral detox mods.
- Daifin acquired Trusted Security in 2058.
- If the group enages combat, 40% for each SPD combat drone to help.

*** Void Room

The droid on bouncer duty waves the group in, "You again. Whatever,
just buy a drink minimum. And try not to trash the place again!"
XJammer is sitting at the front near the bar where he normally sits.

XJammer is a hologram, so it doesn't matter when the group gets
there. But if LP is there, he throws a bit of a fit about it.
